Cocos Frillgoby, Bathygobius cocosensis (Bleeker, 1854): an additional fish element for the Iranian marine waters (Teleostei: Gobiidae)

Abstract

Members of the pantropical/subtropical genus Bathygobius are small and common gobies in sheltered and exposed shallow rocky or sandy shorelines, reef crests, mangroves, seagrass beds, rock jetties and seawalls in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. This report documents a significant range extension of Cocos Frillgoby, Bathygobius cocosensis into the western parts of Indo-Pacific regions, in the Iranian intertidal coast of Makran Sea. The morphological description of collected individuals and its comparison with morphologically similar related goby species, B. meggitti is given and discussed.

Keywords

• gobies, taxonomy, diversity, morphology, distribution, indo-pacific region.